In Your Arms
by Dolphingirl32173
Summary: After forcing Vaan to stay behind the group with him so that an injury he had allowed to get infected to heal, both Balthier and Vaan are caught in a vicious windstorm that smashes their last warp mote. Full summary inside. Much better one.
1. Prologue

In Your Arms  
DG32173

Sarah: this had originally started out as an idea for a one-shot, but inspiration on writing it down turned it into a full-blown fanfic. I wish I could do what I had originally intended and give you a steamy Balthier/Vaan one-shot, but my inspiration is definitely _not_ tamed, much less under control. So bear with me as this fanfic goes on. I have no idea where this will lead, much less how long it's going to be or what will happen along the way. I only own what I write and nothing more. Do not steal my stuff.

_**!WARNINGS!**_  
M-rated for slash sex, cursing, mature situations, and other M-rated stuff. You have been warned. If you continue reading, I hold no liability for what you allow yourself to witness.

_**SUMMARY**_  
After discovering that Vaan had seriously injured _and_ infected his left ankle during the last big fight, Balthier forces the boy to stay behind with him as it heals, and let the others go on ahead. Both assume that they will catch up with the group in the next town. But that hope is short-lived when a strange wind shatters their only warp mote, sending the two to places unknown. How will they get back with the group after this? And will Balthier's lust and Vaan's curiosity cause a change in their relationship to occur that will leave them changed as well? _**Balthier/Vaan**_

_**POINT OF VIEW**_  
This story is from Balthier's point of view entirely. I might make a Vaan point of view sister fic to go along with it. But that is not a definite thing to happen. It might or it might not. Depends on my lovely inspiration.

_**KEY  
**_**(Authors note)  
**"Talking"  
'Thinking'  
Scene change  
**POV change**  
_Memory/dreams__  
Scene change in memory_

_

* * *

_Prologue

I grind my teeth as my eyes are drawn once again to the rhythmic swaying of that orphan's hips as he walks ahead of me. Celibacy for such a long period of time has garnered my control to nearly nothing. My libido keeps conjuring images in my mind, images of that boy's hips swaying in a different form of rhythm, one even more appealing than the sight before me.

I shake my head. At this rate, my self-control won't last much longer. The boy is such an innocent in the matters of love that he hasn't even noticed my subtle flirts! Gods, what the hell have I gotten myself into? Traveling all over the world with this boy to defeat the empire that had swallowed his homeland. I don't know how he talked Fran and I into such foolishness, but it has long since started driving me crazy with lust for the boy who has no idea just how _sensual_ he is without _trying!_

I keep an eye on his left ankle, though. A beastie had decided to grab him by that ankle and throw him around earlier today and he has been limping since. The more we walk, the worse his limping gets. A half-crazy idea starts forming in my mind. Perhaps that injury can provide me with the perfect excuse to be alone with him for a while.

Lady Ashe can heal most wounds, but deep muscle and bone injuries are beyond her capabilities, but well within mine. And as large as our group has gotten, it would be a waste for all to halt on the count of healing just one.

"Vaan, may I speak with you a moment?" I call to him. The group stops as Vaan waits for me to catch up. "What is the matter with your ankle, lad?" I ask.

"Nothing," he lies, barely putting weight on that foot now that he has stopped.

"You're lying," I reply. "You've been limping since that beastie grabbed hold of your ankle earlier today. Let me see it," I order, kneeling next to the boy. Before he has a chance to back away, I shove his pants leg up and stare in surprise at the seriously infected wound.

"Vaan!" Penelo gasps, her hands flying in to cover her mouth. "You should have said something!"

"It didn't seem like much," the boy protests. "I didn't want us to have to stop."

"You still should have said something," I reinforce the girl's statement. "However bad it may have been, you've made it much worse with all this walking. Now it's badly infected." I shake my head. I look at the others. "You lot go on ahead. I'll take care of his injury. We'll meet you in the next town. He'll have to rest a bit after the spells take effect."

They hesitate, but then move on. They are soon lost in the trees ahead of us. Vaan protests, but I silence him with a upheld hand. "Sit," I order, pointing at a nearby rock that is sitting next to the stream in this jungle we have been going through.. "This round of healing could hurt a bit. I haven't seen such a serious wound in years," I tell him, preparing Poisona first, as he sits down on the rock. Poisona is to get rid of the infection.

The boy yelps when I cast the spell. I refrain from rolling my eyes as I prepare Cura. Cure just won't cut it in this case. The wound is too large. I cast Cura on his ankle, causing the boy to hiss between his teeth as the wound closes itself.

"There we go," I say as the scars fade away.

"Can we go now?" he asks, glancing up at the sky above us. "It's dark and the next town is still a long ways off."

"As I told them, you are to rest a bit. The magic just healed the after-effects of the damage you did to your ankle," I tell him. "Your body still needs rest to recover the energy sustaining such damage drained." I glance around and spy a perfect place for us to rest in. "Come, let's get into that cave. It's shallow enough that there shouldn't be any beasties inside but deep enough to protect us from the elements," I say. I loop his arm over my shoulder and help him limp into the small cave.

As Vaan takes his weight off his ankle, I gather enough firewood for the night. The group had long decided to split our supplies evenly among us, just in case some got separated from the others. Thanks to that, Vaan and I have enough food in our packs, among other necessary items, to last until we get back with the main group.

As soon as I'm back within the shelter of the shallow cave, it starts raining… again. It's been raining every night we've been in this stupid jungle. Personally, I prefer drier climates. I can't believe I am actually missing the desert.

"Well, seems we're stuck here for the night," I say nonchalantly. I arrange enough wood for a decent fire. "Do you mind?" I ask him, motioning toward the fire pit. I had decided to keep my talents within white magic so I could be the medic for the group. Vaan took more of the black and green magic skills. He waves a hand towards the wood and it bursts into flames.

I put the rest of the timber a distance from the fire so that no stray spark will be able to set it off. Then I return to the fire and Vaan. "Well, this is cozy," I remark, searching through our bags for edibles. While I prepare a meal, I realize that the orphan is quiet, unnaturally so for him. "Something on your mind?" I ask, glancing towards him.

He looks up from the flames. His beautiful blue eyes reflect the flames before him. "Just thinking about how _fast_ things have happened lately. I mean, it feels like one day I'm just an orphan on the streets of Rabanastre and the next, I'm fighting with all of you guys to free Dalmasca from the Empire. And then there's the fact about Vossler's betrayal to Lady Ashe," the boy replies somberly, a far cry from his usual self. He returns his gaze to the flames. "I still can't get over the fact that he would _work with_ the Empire to restore Dalmasca by taking away Lady Ashe's proof of who she is. Didn't he stop to think that maybe the Judge was using him to get rid of all her credentials so that they can destroy us all and not let anyone ever know about it?"

I am silent for several moments. "Unusual thoughts for one such as yourself," I respond at last.

He smirks softly. "Yeah, I guess so," he replies. He looks up from the flames again and meets my gaze directly. "Thanks, Balthier," he says.

"For what, exactly?" I ask curiously.

"For pointing out that I'm moping without saying as much," he retorts, grinning. This is more the boy I have come to know these past few months.

"You're welcome, then," I reply, smirking.

Suddenly, before either of us could do a thing to react, a rough wind tears into the cave, extinguishing our little fire, and shoving us and our belongings against the rear. Time seems to slow down drastically as our eyes see our only warp mote tumble out of Vaan's bag and _slowly_ drop through the air to crash against the ground. As it breaks apart, releasing the spell, I grab Vaan's wrist with one hand and our bags with the other. Wherever we are going, I definitely want to be there with Vaan _and_ our belongings. We scream in unison as the bright light of the warp envelopes us and carries us to gods-only-know where!

* * *

Sarah: well, that's the prologue.


	2. We Are Not On The Map

In Your Arms  
DG32173

Sarah: chapter one of this adventure is underway. As to where our two eventual lovebirds have been warped to, that has yet to be distinguished. But it is a long way from their friends, that much has already been decided. They are far enough away that it will take a good deal of time to reunite. And a good deal of events to happen before the reunion. I own only what I write, nothing more, nothing less. Don't steal. Remember, this story is in Balthier's point of view.

_**KEY  
**_**(Authors note)  
**"Talking"  
'Thinking'  
Scene change  
**POV change**  
_Memory/dreams__  
Scene change in memory_

* * *

Chapter 1  
We Are Not On The Map

"Balthier?" a voice I dimly recognize calls to me as unconsciousness seems to cling to me. "Balthier? Are you okay?"

Suddenly, something pokes me in the side. I groan at the sudden flare of pain that comes from the poking. "Balthier? What's wrong? Are you hurt?" that voice asks. As unconsciousness slowly slips away, I realize that I hurt all over. "Oh man! You're bleeding! Shit! And I don't know any healing spells! Balthier, you gotta wake up!" the voice says insistently, a warmth touching my shoulder.

I slowly blink my eyes open, seeing a fuzzy face above me. As my vision clears, I recognize the face and the voice: Vaan.

The boy sighs in relief. "Gods, Balthier, you scared me! I thought something major had happened to you when you wouldn't wake up!"

I slowly force my body into a sitting position. "Ungh," I groan as my left side flares with pain again. I put my hand there only to feel a sticky wetness. I pull my hand away and stare dumbstruck at the blood on my hand.

"Do you thank you can Cure yourself, Balthier?" Vaan asks, staring uneasily at my side.

I reach for my magic, only to have it slip out of reach. "My magic's drained," I tell him. "We'll have to improvise with first aid instead." I look around for our packs. I know there's a first aid kit in my bag.

Vaan holds out my bag for me. "Here," he says, opening it for me. I reach inside, wincing as the movement stretches the wound on my left side. I pull out the first aid kit and hand it to him. "You'll have to wrap it up," I tell him.

"What? Me?" he yelps.

I roll my eyes. "Yes, you," I say. "Do as I say, and you'll do fine."

"Okay," he says nervously.

"First, you need to help me get my vest and shirt off," I tell him. I'm startled to see him blush, but I don't show it to him. "It's so that you can get to the wound easier," I inform him. He nods and helps me rid myself of those articles of clothing. I had noted that, wherever we are, there's a great deal of snow around. Without my clothes, I start to feel the freezing bite of the cold wind. "You need to clean the wound. The snow should help with that."

I raise my left arm so that he can have easier access to the wound. I shiver as the cold of the snow hits the warmth of the blood around the wound. "Make sure that there is no debris in the wound," I tell him. "If you see anything, such as clothe fibers or gravel, you have to cleanse it out. Using your water spell lightly should do the trick."

"But it's so cold that the water might freeze!" he exclaims.

"Worry about that _if_ it happens, not until then," I reprimand. "Debris left in a wound can cause infection. Separated from the others as we are, and not knowing how far away we've been transported from any form of aid, an infection now can lead to death. Personally, I'd prefer to have a little bit of ice hit me than to die a painful death," I inform him.

Vaan sighs and casts his spell at my side, toning it down a good deal from what he would launch at an enemy. But it still stings as it hits the wound. At least that would make sure said wound was clean. Then, without further instructions, Vaan pulls out a roll of bandages and starts wrapping them around my waist, covering the wound with layers of clothe. As the roll runs out, he weaves the end through several layers of the fabric.

Then he pulls out our world map from his bag. He scans it thoroughly for several minutes before cursing. "What now?" I ask as I carefully put my shirt and vest back on, dreading the answer I just know he is going to give.

"We're not on the map," he replies. "The magical dot that should be our location has an arrow at the northern end of the map pointing further north."

I let out a string of curses I normally wouldn't have used around such innocent ears as Vaan's. But this isn't a normal situation. Getting warped to somewhere not on the world map is _definitely_ not a normal situation. A far cry from it.

"So, how are we supposed to get back to the others if we don't know where we are?" Vaan asks.

"How should I know?" I demand angrily.

Vaan rolls his eyes. Then he shudders. "Damn, it's cold," he growls, rubbing his arms.

The want to hold him so as to warm him almost gets the best of me, but I refuse that want. I dig in his pack, pull out a fleece lined jacket, and toss it to him. "Put that on," I order. He glares refusal. He never does anything I tell him to without questioning or fighting it, even if he knows that what I say is for the best of the situation. "Then don't. Just don't complain when your arms fall off from frostbite and you can't defend yourself," I say, shrugging as if I couldn't care. I smirk as he quickly pulls the jacket on. The boy treasures keeping his body in one piece more than anything, so why he would refute an order that would help him do just that is beyond me. Pure stubbornness most likely.

I set about putting our things back in our bags, taking stock of what items we have should we run into trouble. The inventory on that department produces rather grim results.

"What's wrong, Balthier?" Vaan asks, moving too stand beside me.

"It seems that we will have to limit our use of items to a bare minimum," I reply. "We don't have very much to back us up should we run into trouble. Running from major fights would be a wise idea for the time being."

"Shit," Vaan curses. "And you hardly have any magic to back us up with right now. Guess running from big fights is our only option."

"Well, we've still got our lives and our packs. That much we could be grateful for," I point out with false cheer.

"But no shelter, no food, no supplies, and no clue where we are," Vaan shoots back.

"That can be easily remedied," I retort. "We're in the mountains, that much we know. Mountains are bound to have caves to shelter in. You're a skilled enough tracker that you could find us meat for our dinner. I'm well studied on plant-life and herblore. I can find ingredients and concoct some home-made supplies to supplement our own. Not quite up to par as those store-bought, mind you, but decent enough for the situation."

"What about finding out where we are?"

"Find someone who dwells in the area; there's bound to be some sort of civilized life here. We find it, we find out where we are," I reply, my good cheer truly returning.

Vaan gives me a sardonic grin. "Got it all figured out, don't ya?" he asks.

"Certainly. I _am_ the leading man, of course."

"You're also injured," he reminds me, his eyes traveling briefly to my side then back to meet my gaze. "You won't be able to wield your gun with just one good arm. How will _you_ defend yourself?"

"I _do_ know how to use a sword, uncivilized as they are," I retort. "A sky pirate has to know how to properly use multiple forms of weaponry so he can defend himself in any situation he may find himself in. I just prefer more civilized forms of combat to your barbaric hack-and-bash routine."

Vaan glances around, suddenly nervous. "Well, we should get moving. It's getting dark and there are far too many places an enemy can attack from here for my comfort," he says suddenly.

I glance around and agree. Mountain it may be, but it is covered in woodlands, giving ample places for an enemy to lurk in the dark and attack when we least expect it. "Do you think you could call forth a bit of light? I couldn't find our lanterns within our packs. They must have been lost in that wind."

Vaan nods and calls forth a small spell of Fire above his hand and leads us through the trees in search of a cave we could take shelter in for the night. Hopefully, we find some form of shelter soon.

* * *

Sarah: that's it for this chapter. Hope you enjoyed. Please be nice and review! Reviews are what earns new chapters, not faves and alerts. Faves and alerts are nice and appreciated, but will not earn a new chapter being posted.


	3. Snow War and the Tavern

In Your Arms  
DG32173

Sarah: welcome to chapter 2 of _In Your Arms._ I do hope you enjoy!

_**DISCLAIMER**_  
If I owned Final Fantasy XII then I wouldn't be writing _fan_fics.

_**KEY  
**_**(Authors note)  
**"Talking"  
'Thinking'  
Scene change  
**POV change**  
_Memory/dreams__  
Scene change in memory_

* * *

Chapter 2  
Snow War and the Tavern

Three days of trekking through this unknown mountain range without finding any civilized life has left both Vaan and I very lost and with little knowledge of which direction we have been heading. At least I had regained enough magic by the second day that I was able to heal the ugly wound on my side gained during our warp here. Wherever 'here' is.

Suddenly, the tree I'm walking under unloads its burden of snow onto me. "Ugh," I groan. As I fight my way out of the sudden snowdrift, I hear Vaan laughing his ass off. I glare at him as I reach down to gather snow for a snowball. "Think that's funny?" I ask, smirking as I throw the snowball in his face.

"Hey!" Vaan yelps. Then he forms his own snowball as I take off through the trees. "You'll pay for that!" he yells, chasing after me. I duck the snowball he aims at my head and tap a thin tree I pass by. I chuckle as he gets snow dumped on him this time.

We spend the rest of the day throwing snow at each other and generally have a snow war. I end the war by pinning him in a snow drift, shoving snow in his face as he yells for mercy. I stand up and dust the snow off of my clothes while he gets out of the snow drift.

As we look around, I am startled to realize that we ended the snow war not even ten yards from a tavern. "Woah, who would of guessed there'd be a tavern in the middle of the mountains?" Vaan says, echoing my surprise.

"We should proceed with caution," I warn him.

"I'm too cold to wait for your caution!" Vaan snaps, running for the building.

"Vaan!" I yell after him, but give chase. "That brat's going to get himself killed one of these days," I mutter.

I manage to catch up with him as he opens the door. I sigh as I follow him inside. I glance around and note that there are several other customers here. I make my way to the bartender. "Excuse me," I say, gaining her attention.

"Welcome to Tabori Tavern," she says, smiling charmingly. "You are lucky to have come today! Drinks and food free until noon tomorrow!" she says. "Not only that, but rooms are half off … though we only have one room left right now."

Vaan is beside me the instant the girl mentioned free food and drink. "I'd like something to drink and eat!" he exclaims, sliding onto a barstool.

She grins at him. "I know just the thing! Both of you have a seat and I'll let the chef know two more orders are up." With that, she disappears through swinging doors behind the bar.

I take the seat bes

* * *

ide Vaan with a sigh. At least we'll have a _real_ meal and good drinks and maybe even a _real_ bed until tomorrow. A few minutes later the bar-girl comes out with two steaming plates piled with delicious smelling food. She places them before us and then pours us each a tall glass of some dark, bubbling liquor.

The first, tentative sip of the liquor tells me that whatever it is, it is strong but good. I turn to Vaan to warn him about the strength, only to discover that he has already drunk half the glass and is devouring the food like a starved man. I raise an eyebrow and return to my meal. The food tastes even better than it smells. What, exactly, the dish is, I can not tell. But it's a hearty meal, and very filling. I sip on my drink as I watch Vaan start getting himself drunk.

Finally, I put a hand over his lips as he's about to ask for a fourth glass. "No more, Vaan," I tell him. "You'll have a mighty hangover in the morning as is." I look at the bartender. She is smirking about something, but quickly wipes the smirk away when she notices I'm watching her. "How much would that room be?" I ask her.

"Two-fifty Gil," she responds, holding out her hand. I pull out the money and hand it over. "Up the stairs, take a left and it's the last room on the right," she directs us.

I nod and lead Vaan to the room. I end up half-carrying him as the liquor causes him to stumble and weave about. Once in the room, I look around. Thankfully, there are two beds, even if they are rather close together.

When I turn to direct Vaan to lay down on one of the beds, his lips suddenly meet with mine. I stare at the drunk boy in surprise. What the hell is going through his mind right now? All that liquor must have gone straight to his head.

I fight the urge to give into the kiss. Instead, I grab his shoulders and push him back. "Vaan, get a hold of yourself," I order. "You've had _way_ too much liquor." He pouts at me, one of the cutest expressions I've seen on his face yet. But I will not bow down. "To _bed,"_ I command him, turning him around and shoving him towards one of the beds. He stumbles towards the bed, grabbing hold of the bedpost before he falls. He crawls in the bed without bothering to take off any clothing. Almost as soon as his head hits the pillow, he's asleep.

I strip off my shirt and vest and crawl into the other bed. Hopefully, Vaan is one of those who don't remember what they do when drunk. Our luck, he _will_ remember. As these thoughts drift through my head, I slip into sleep, thoughts of him turning to dreams of him.

Sarah: well, finally, here is chapter two, complete. Enjoy! Remember, reviews earn updates. No reviews, no updates.


	4. Morning

In Your Arms  
DG32173

Sarah: enjoy! Also, this chapter will alternate between Vaan's and Balthier's POV.

_**DISCLAIMER**_  
This is a _fan_fic; that means it's written by a _fan._ If I made the game, I would have put a _lot_ more Balthier/Vaan innuendoes in it. But I don't, so there isn't.

_**REVIEWER REPLIES**_  
Here are a few shout-outs to those whose reviews earn a reply. Doesn't mean that I don't appreciate _all_ you reviewers! It's just some had things I felt like commenting on.

_Sapphirethief_  
What is Vaan's next move? Hehehe, you'll see soon enough. Next move will be made while he's sober, though!

_**KEY  
**_**(Authors note)  
**"Talking"  
'Thinking'  
Scene change  
**POV change**  
_Memory/dreams__  
Scene change in memory_

* * *

Chapter 3  
Morning

**Vaan**

I groan as I slowly wake up. First and foremost is the presence of a severe headache, no doubt a symptom of the hangover that I have from the excessive drinking last night. Second is the memory of what all that liquor led me to do. Dammit! Why the hell had I done _that?_ Sure I enjoy Balthier's company, and sure, I have a bit of a crush on him. But to _kiss_ him without giving him a warning?

"So you're awake," his amused voice sounds from nearby.

"Shut up," I groan.

"You want something for that hangover?"

"_Anything."_

I can _hear_ the smirk in his voice. _"Anything,_ you say?"

I huff. "You _know_ what I mean," I growl.

He just chuckles and presses a warm cup into my hand as I slowly sit up, keeping my eyes closed. "Drink. It will help with the headache," he says.

**Balthier**

I watch as Vaan slowly sips on the hot tea, keeping his eyes closed against the bright sunlight coming in the window next to his bed. Typically, I don't share my herbal tea; but considering how much alcohol was in his system last night and how rarely he drinks, I'll make an exception this time.

Once he finishes the tea, he slowly blinks his eyes open. "I am _never_ gonna get drunk again," he complains.

"Am I that bad at kissing?" I tease. I chuckle as he blushes.

"That was my first kiss, so I wouldn't know," he growls.

"I'm honored to be the first," I tell him, my voice filled with my amusement.

"Shut up," he says, his blush deepening.

**Vaan**

Gods, why did he have to bring _that_ up? I would have pretended that it was just a dream if he hadn't mentioned it! A _good_ dream, I guess, but still a dream. But _no,_ he just _had_ to bring it up! Oh man, and why the hell is he teasing me so much today? He's in an awful good mood for some reason.

And why the hell is he staring at my lips? What on Ivalice could he be thinking? Why is he leaning closer to me? Oh man, what is he planning on doing?

**Balthier**

Just as I'm about six inches from kissing Vaan, a knock on the door interrupts me. "Breakfast!" the voice of last night's barkeeper is slightly muffled by the thick door.

I back away from Vaan, mentally cursing that girl for ruining my chance, as said girl comes in with a tray laden with excellent smelling food. Again, I'm not certain what the food is, but I'm willing to bet that it tastes better than it smells, just like last night's meal had.

She lays the tray on the table near the door. "Eat up and enjoy," she says, her green eyes twinkling with merriment.

"What's your name?" Vaan asks.

"Everyone calls me 'Affi'," she replies. **(Yes, the exact same "Affi" from **_**Red Magic.**_** This is gonna be fun.)** "Oh, and check out is in two hours … unless you plan on staying another night and paying full price?" she asks.

Vaan opens his mouth to ask how much full price is, but I cut in first. "No, thank you," I say. "Do you, by chance, have a map of the area? And what is the name of this mountain range?"

"You're in the Olympian Mountain Range," she replies. "Some say this mountain range is closer to the home of the gods than anywhere else in Ivalice. And as for a map, there's a Cartographer's Guild moogle staying here for a few days. You can ask her for one, though I doubt it will be cheap, considering how far the mountains spread."

"Are there any other taverns in these mountains?" I ask.

"Oh, a few are scattered here and there," she replies. "Each tavern has its own merchant that resides there, though, so you can always stock up on supplies and other necessities for the mountains. Just be careful when the snow storms kick up; powerful elementals come out of hiding when those things blow in. And the storms can last for hours or even days at a time."

"Thank you, Affi. We'll be sure to see what this tavern's merchant has to offer before we leave," I reply.

She grins. "Anytime. And if the barkeepers at the other taverns try to tell you there are no rooms, just tell them Affi is on your side. They'll find a room for ya real quick. Well, when you're ready to leave, come down and let me know, I'll have someone from cleaning in here to straighten up and take care of the dishes. Enjoy your meal." With that, she leaves us to our breakfast.

When we're done, we take turns in the shower to wash away the last three days grit and grime from our bodies. Then we pack our bags and leave the room. We stop by the Cartographer's Guild moogle and buy a map of the area for about one thousand Gil. Then we let Affi know that we're ready to leave. She points out the tavern's merchant for us. We purchase as many supplies as our remaining Gil will buy, then we head back out into the snow.

* * *

Sarah: well, that's it for this chapter! Hope you enjoyed! The rest of the fic will mostly be from Balthier's point of view. I only put Vaan's point of view in this chapter because it seemed right for the situation.


End file.
